A complete guide of options to help Sussex Uni students with the cost of living crisis

The cost of living crisis in England currently is scary for everyone, especially in an area like Brighton where prices are already high. In Brighton, the estimated price for a monthly food shop is estimated to be £212. Depending on where you shop (like the campus co-op) and the potential for further inflation, this total will only increase. We’ve compiled a list of some of the services the University of Sussex is offering to its students in order to combat the cost of living crisis:

The University

The Student Hub offers resources and advice run by the university. There are links and information regarding some of their funding programmes. The Hardship Fund is there to help students experiencing financial issues so they can focus on their studies rather than worrying about money.

To be eligible for the Hardship Fund, applicants must be either full-time undergraduates or part-time/full-time Masters or PhD students. This fund does not need to be repaid back to the university. Applications for this year are now open. On the same page, you can also find out about the Welfare Loan. You can receive up to £700. However, this money you do have to pay back by the date and time agreed on in your application.

In the forms of Bursaries and Scholarships, the University offer a few. The Sussex Bursary is automatically entitled to students whose assessed household income is less than £25,000 yearly. In your first year at Sussex, you will receive £1,000 by mid-November, and in subsequent years £500, unless on a year abroad. If you are a Master’s student, however, continuing after your Undergraduate degree at Sussex, you can apply for the Sussex Graduate Scholarship and the Alumni Award. Both are there to help lower the cost of your Master’s degree.

The Student Union

Free Wednesdays is an entirely free pick-up service for sexual health and period products. This is weekly during term time and is located in Falmer House each Wednesday between 12-1:30 pm. If you cannot make it to Free Wednesday, you can collect the same products Monday-Friday, 9 am-8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-6 pm (term time only) from the reception of Falmer House.

The SU is also a registered member of the X-Card Scheme; registering for this is free, and once you have, you can pick up free condoms from many pick-up points on campus, including the Falmer House reception. The SU also offers part-time employment to many students and is aiming to be a Real Living Wage employer. To find out what jobs are available with the Student Union, you can look here.

Help Your Shelf is a free swap shop-style food system in The Common Room. You can drop food off and take food as you wish to help with the cost of food. A great way to help yourself while helping others.

The SU also aims to keep the cost of clubs, societies and events reasonably low to ensure all students gain the best university experience possible.

The Food Waste Cafe is a new weekly event on Mondays in Falmer Quad between 12-4 pm. Here you can shop for fresh and local fruit and veg and pay as much as you feel like or can on the day, just bring your own bag!

The on-campus co-op and Student Union Shop are also on Too Good To Go, where you can purchase a meal or bag of groceries for as little as £2. The SU also offers part-time employment to many students and is aiming to be a Real Living Wage employer. To find out what jobs are available with the Student Union, you can look here.

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